Shoes of Redemption: Mixed Emotions...Sad to Leave Uganda

Murchison Falls

We got up early and left in time to catch a ferry across the Nile. I am sad to leave the Paraa Safari Lodge. For me it felt like were living at sizzler... With an amazing buffet at every meal!

We drove through Wadongo forest where they do chimp tracking (we only saw Baboons though!), then stopped at Murchison Falls.. That was spectacular! There is such a sad history with these falls. In the 1960s Idi amin was the army chief of staff he stormed the royal palace and through the kings out and anyone else who was against him into the River Nile. Yoweri Museveni and his brother started tactics to take over from the government in the 80s and only came into power in the 90s when they put a stop to all the killings. Praise god!

Our return to Kampala was 6 long bumpy hours. Oh my gosh I wish Watoto added sports bra to the packing list! We then stopped at the church office to pick up our passports, (they keep them in a safe for us during our stay). And of course we got to stop at the markets one last time since we have been begging Colin (our host)to every day. He just doesn't understand why women love babies and shopping so much! So we have been training him up for his future wife! He was telling us that in Uganda you have to save up and buy cows, chooks and goats to give to the wife's family in order for them to allow her to marry him. And the quality and amount of animals that you give determines how well the husband will provide for their daughter! Talk about pressure!

For lunch we went out to a "western" restaurant it was great since breakfast was 9 hours earlier. For dinner we were shouted by Watoto to an Italian restaurant for an APPRECIATION dinner which they do to all volunteers who come to serve. We felt very privileged and honored to spend time with annie the director of the bulrushes baby home. We heard many amazing stories of some the babies that have come through the Bulrushes. She had our full attention all night. We asked many questions!
We are now back home (At Kampala) and trying to figure out how I am going to pack my suitcase and get all my African artifacts through customs!! Arrgh!

As our time in Africa draws to a close I am reflecting on James 1:27
Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after the orphans and widows and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I would love for God to see me as pure and faultless or at least see that my heart wants to be. But not being polluted by the world is very hard when it is all around us. This journey to Africa has helped me to see life with a different perspective. Sharing a life experience with 7 different people from around the world - the good time, the bad times, the ugly times, the sad times. But this has only made me stronger in Who I am in God. I endeavour to go home with my heart and mind enlarged and live life unselfishly by the grace of God.
I think what it means is to enlarge our mind as well not just our capacity to serve in church or our workplace or even in our families. Sometimes we can even put borders on our thinking. My perspective of God after my journey to Africa has broken all mindsets and only enlarged the territory of my thoughts now. God is so much bigger than we can ask think or imagine just like the scripture reminds us. Ephesians 3:20